Cutting baseball and men's soccer will save Towson about $900,000 per year

Towson Univ. President Maravene Loeschke on Friday was “escorted by several police officers into a meeting” with the school’s baseball and men’s soccer teams “to tell players she had decided to cut their sports,” according to Korman & Walker of the Baltimore SUN. Loeschke’s decision to “ultimately uphold a recommendation put forth” by AD Mike Waddell last fall “leaves more than 55 athletes without a place to play, many of whom opted not to transfer while the sports were in limbo.” The baseball team will “finish out the season, but the soccer program was disbanded immediately.” Loeschke’s decision has “alienated her from a group of the university’s most prominent and involved alumni.” That group includes Braves President John Schuerholz, who “played both sports at Towson.” Loeschke ultimately decided that cutting the sports “would best allow the athletic department to achieve fiscal stability and Title IX compliance.” The move will “eventually save the department about $900,000 a year.” Towson on Friday “released a 22-page report explaining its decision,” doing so “minutes before Loeschke held a telephone conference with reporters.” Schuerholz has been “one of the athletic department’s top donors," and the baseball complex is "named for him because he gave $250,000 toward renovations.” Loeschke said that Towson reps were “in talks with Schuerholz about moving his name to another campus building.” However, Schuerholz said that he “had not heard from Towson.” Schuerholz: “The next conversation I have with them about what they plan to do with the stadium or the money I’ve given will be the first.” He “declined to discuss whether he’d continue supporting his alma mater.” Schuerholz: “I’m really most upset for the kids” (Baltimore SUN, 3/9).